Advice for diabetics on Valentine's Day

Advice for diabetics on Valentine's Day 

Dr SS Agarwal - National President IMA and Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal, Honorary Secretary General, IMA and President HCFI said, "If your sweetheart has diabetes or prediabetes, celebrate Valentine’s Day without chocolates or a fancy restaurant meal."

Here are a few tips: 

. • First is talk sweet

 • Non milk, non-sugar dark chocolate is good for the health

 • Go on an outing that includes a hike, bicycle ride or vigorous walk

 • Pack a picnic basket that includes items such as low-fat cheese, olives, fresh vegetables with a raita, nuts, hummus, antipasto salad, sliced apple, smoked salmon or low-sodium, low-fat sliced turkey and a bottle of sparkling water

 • Even a small glass of red wine is fine for those who drink but have food with your wine as alcohol can initially increase the blood sugar, but then it can cause a drop, or hypoglycemia. 

• Alcohol should always be consumed with food

 • One can share a special cookie or some sugar-free or dark chocolates. 

• Some sugar-free foods, such as diet soda, sugar-free gelatin, and sugar-free gum, do not have a significant number of calories or carbohydrates, and are considered "free foods." Any food that has less than 20 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrate is considered a free food, meaning that they do not affect body weight or require additional medication

. • Artificial sweeteners do not affect blood glucose levels and may be consumed in moderation. The FDA has approved five artificial sweeteners: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, neotame, and sucralose. Stevia comes from the stevia plant and is now generally recognized as safe. When something is generally recognized as safe by the FDA, it means that experts have agreed that it is safe for use by the public in appropriate amounts.

 • Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol and maltitol) are often used to sweeten sugar-free candies and gum, and increase blood glucose levels slightly. When calculating the carbohydrate content of foods, one-half of the sugar alcohol content should be counted in the total carbohydrate content of the food. Eating too much sugar alcohol at one time can cause cramping, gas, and diarrhoea.